Vapor injector



R. G. THOMAS VAPOR INJECTOR May 27, 1952 Filed Jan. 14. 1947 000000020000 00000005000 ooooololL mlOO 000%.0000000 il Si t:

until .Hahllvilulll Gull III Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE The present invention relates to improvements in vapor injectors and consists of certain improvements in the device illustrated and described in my prior Patent 1,724,785, granted August 13, 1929.

An object of the invention is to provide a means for injecting water vapor into the induction system of an internal combustion engine from any appropriate source but advantageously from the vapor space of the radiator, and the improvement in the present instance relating more particularly to an arrangement by which the vapor is drawn into the induction system by the vacuum pull developed from the engine acting in the capacity of a pump.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improvement in vapor injectors for internal combustion engines in which the delivery mouth of the vapor conduit is disposed adjacent to the air strainer, with a holder for such delivery mouth having an airfoil section for intercepting the stream of air and being so related to the delivery mouth of the vapor tube that a strong vacuum pull is developed over this area whereby the engine in its function of drawing air into the induction system will act as a pump to draw in with the air a volume of water vapor in desired proportions.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing an improved vapor injector wherein the holder for the delivery mouth of the vapor conduit or tube is so constructed and arranged as to enable the tube mouth to be bound to the air strainer in a convenient position for subjecting the port area of such delivery mouth to the suction developed in the induction system in the internal combustion engine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved holder for the delivery mouth of a vapor tube in which such holder acts in the capacity of a suspending and sustaining means for the delivery end of the tube or conduit, performs a secondary function of enabling the holder to be attached to the conventional air strainer or cleaner, and also performs a third function in that a part of the holder is constructed in the form of an airfoil section and is so placed and related to the open mouth of the vapor tube as to develop a maximum vacuum pull through the vapor tube.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved device which takes advantage of the source of water vapor at all times present in the head of the radiator and which involves an imm proved attachment to the radiator drain pipe with an improved form of relief valve by which overflow water may be automatically evacuated from the vapor circuit without permitting the entraining to that circuit of dry atmospheric air.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which like parts are denoted by the same reference characters throughout the several Views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of an internal combustion engine and related parts, with portions thereof broken away and shown in section, and illustrating in conjunction therewith an improved vapor injector in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view taken on an enlarged scale, with parts broken away and parts shown in section, of the holding device.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the same illustrated in front of the air strainer with parts broken away and parts shown in section.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line -l in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken through the radiator drain pipe fitting.

' Referring more particularly to the drawings, lo designates generally an internal combustion engine such as employed to drive automobiles, I I is the intake manifold thereof and I2 the conventional carbureter. An air strainer or air cleaner I3 is provided in connection with the air intake of the carbureter I2 to purify the induc-v tion air drawn into the carbureter I2 and induction system I I of the engine.

A radiator of approved construction is represented at I li, the same having the usual iilling neck i5 enclosed by the removable cap I6, and Il represents the customary overflow pipe having its upperend in open communication with a high point in the vapor space or head of the radiator lli and with its lower end brought down to a loW point for discharging excess or overflow water from the radiator i4.

.In accordance with the present invention a sleeve I8 of hard rubber, compressible material or other desired substance may be a-ilixed as an accessory to the lower end of the overflow pipe Il as by means of a clamp I9. The lower reduced end 2!) of the sleeve I8 carries a form of liquid exhaust valve comprising the opposed pair of resilient walls 2l, '22 having the closed bottom edges 23 and the side slits 24 which are biased to a closed position by the inherent resiliency of 3 the walls 2|, 22 which may be of rubber or other suitable material. Such side slits 24 may also be normally maintained in a closed position by external atmospheric pressure upon the walls 2 I 22 due to the partial vacuum within the valve developed by engine suction.

A vapor tube or conduit 25 connects with the sleeve I8 and extends to a point at or near the air strainer I3. This tube or conduit is preferably of rubber or some flexible material in order that it may be adapted to the particular make and model of vehicle. The open mouth of the tube or conduit is indicated at 26 and is held in a proper relationship to the air strainer I3 by a combined mouth holder and vacuum device which consists of a bendable or flexible attaching plate 21, an airfoil section Sil, diagonal leg 32, and an upfturned tongue 34. All of these parts may be made integral if desired of a piece of sheet metal which will possess not only flexibility but also a certain resiliency whereby the attaching plate may be bent into an arc conforming to the curvature of the side perforated wall of the air strainer I3 to which the holder is bound as by the use of an attaching wire 29 which is laced through holes d 28 in the backing or attaching plate 21.

The airfoil section 30 and the diagonal leg 32 are formed with registering openings 3l and 33 for the passage of the tube or conduit 25 upwardly therethrough.

In the use of the device, the holder is attached at the forward portion of the air strainer I3 with the diagonal leg 32 facing forwardly or toward the radiator I4 whereby the incoming stream of air on its way to the operating engine induction impinges normally on the airfoil section 30 and to be deflected upwardly thereby in a stream line over the open mouth 2S of the conduit which it will be noted is exposed through the opening 3l flush or nearly flush with the airfoil section 30 at an area thereof subject to the greatest effective upward suction. The stream line of air drawn over the airfoil section 33 will be principally produced by the suction of the engine developed in the surrounding air about the 'air strainer 3i. This induction air being drawn through the strainer will in the area of the open conduit mouth 26 encounter the airfoil section 39 and thus be effective to draw through the tube or conduit 25 a continual volume of water vapor from the radiator I4 in proportion to the engine speed, duration and degree of the work load of the engine, and the vacuum created by the airfoil section 3U.

The tube 25 carrying the water vapor from the top of the radiator I4 to the gas engine is attached in such a way as to cause at least a slight vacuum in the radiator I4. This slight vacuum is induced by the action of the induction air moving over the air'foil section 30 and into the air strainer I3. In other words the air stream to the engine induction passes over the tube holder in a manner to cause at least a small vacuum in the vapor tube which in turn draws vapor from the top of the radiator and spills it into the induction air. Thus the engine power is used to inject water vapor into the engine. The amount of vapor is controlled by the port varea of the tube orifice 26 and automatically by the speed of the engine. y This device improves the operation, of 'the engine and with lean mixtures will produce about eight percent increase in horsepower. The additional moisture will reduce cylinder wear and tends to ilatt'en out the power curve.

It will be noted that the air'fo'il section 39, leg

32, and upturned tongue 34 bear a triangular relationship for purposes of strength and that the upturned tongue 34 is inserted between the tube and the back plate 21 to prevent any tendoncy to unfold or come loose. The back plate 2l is held by the wall of the air strainer I3. The opening 33 will be such as to frictionally grasp the rubber or other resilient wall of the tube 25 so as to retain the tube in the holder and similar considerations may apply to the relationship between the wall of the opening 3| and the external diameter of the tube or conduit 25 which may be put under slight compression to insert under the opening 3|.

While I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at the present time, I desire it to be understood that I reserve the right to make changes and modifications in the herein described embodiment of the invention provided such changes fall within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. For use with a power plant including an iuternal combustion engine having an induction system including an air strainer and a cooling system including aradiator having an overflow pipe, a water vapor injector comprising a fitting adapted to be secured to the lower end of the overow pipe and having a normally closed opening for excluding atmospheric air but openable under pressure of water in the overow pipe to discharge such water, a vapor tube connected to one end or said fitting for placing the tube in communication with the vapor space of the radiator, and a holder member comprising a base plate adapted to be attached to the air strainer, an air-foil section adapted to be located in the current of air drawn by the engine suction into the strainer and having means for holding the other open end of the vapor tube exposed at that portion of the airfoil section having substantially maximum suction, a diagonal leg section. and a tongue turned up from the lower end of the diagonal leg section and placed against said base plate.

2. A water vapor injector as claimed ln claim l further characterized by the fact that openings in the diagonal leg and airfoil sections receive the vapor tube which ls of resilient material slightly greater in diameter than the diameters of said openings whereby the walls of the openings slightly constrict and bind on the tube.

3. A water vapor injector for internal combustion engines having an induction system including an air strainer and a cooling system including a radiator having an overflow pipe comprising a holder member comprising an alrfoil section across the top of the same with a perforation through the top on the rearwardly inclining part of such airfoil section, a back plate conforming and fitted to the air strainer and connected to the lower end of said airfoil section, a diagonal leg extending downwardly from 'the other end of the air'foil section toward the air strainer, an upturned tongue on the lower end of the leg iitted against said back plate, the lower portion of said leg having an opening, means connected to the holder member for attaching said holder member 'to the air strainer in a position in which the airfoil section is in substantially horizontal alignment with air `intake portions of the air strainer, a vapor tube having its delivery end mounted through said opening Vand perforation Vin said holder member with its open end exposed on the surface of the airfoil section, the diameters of 5 said perforation and opening being such as to trictionally grip the vapor tube in place, a hollow fitting secured to the lower end of the overow pipe and having a lateral connection to the receiving end of said vapor tube, said fitting having 5 dependent therefrom a normally closed automatic drain valve comprising wide resilient walls and a closed bottom with openable side slits biased resiliently and by induction suction to a closed position and openable under the head of 10 water in the overflow pipe.

RAYMOND G. THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Thomas Dec. 19, 1950 

